Second Congregational Church

Frances “Frankie” McGrath is inspired when a friend of her older brother about to leave for duty in Vietnam says to her, “Women can be heroes.” In spite of the lack of support from her family, Frankie enlists and becomes an army nurse — fresh out of nursing school and as green and inexperienced as the men sent to fight in Vietnam. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her friends. Fans of Kristin Hannah (The Nightingale, The Great Alone) will recognize her detailed historical research and rich prose in The Women, her latest novel. The book group meets in the church parlor.

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede is the story of what happened when the United States air space was closed and 38 jet liners were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001. The citizens of this small community and surrounding towns were called upon to care for thousands of distraught travelers. This is the inspiring story of how a town of barely 10,000 cared for nearly 7,000 passengers with gestures of friendship, acts of kindness, and attitudes of goodwill at a moment’s notice.

When the head of the San Diego Zoo ordered two giraffes for the Zoo, "because there were no giraffes in California," a fascinating novel unfolded about the transporting of these beloved animals across the country. The trip took place in the late 1930's before the construction of the national highway system. The characters are wild, and so was the journey!